SHERRY FLEMMING

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A Vessel of Christ's Love and Presence

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 Social worker and pro-life ministry leader​

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“It is not about my ability. It is about God's ability to work through me.”

For Sherry Flemming, Christ-Like Listening begins before another person speaks. It begins with an interior movement toward God.

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Sherry describes this as becoming attuned to God and then carrying that attentiveness into the time she spends with another person. Listening is therefore not merely an exchange between two individuals. It becomes an encounter in which the listener asks to become a vessel of the love and presence of Jesus.

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This changed the source of Sherry's confidence. Her effectiveness does not depend only on having the right response, possessing enough experience or knowing how to solve the situation. Christ-Like Listening repeatedly reminded her that the encounter is not principally about her ability. It is about God's ability to work through her—an ability greater than she can fully understand.

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The formation gave Sherry what she calls a map for journeying simultaneously with another person and with God. The map provides direction without turning the conversation into a mechanical process. It helps the listener remain attentive to the person while also remaining dependent upon the Lord. That dependence proved fruitful not only for those she accompanied but also for her own spiritual life, deepening her relationship with God and her reliance upon him.

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Sherry is also honest about the importance of practice. After first taking the formation, she came away with valuable tools for her ministry and listening “toolbox.” Yet, as happens with many forms of learning, some of those tools were quickly forgotten when they were not used consistently.

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Taking the program again within a new structure of small-group practice made a significant difference. The group created accountability. Participants did not simply remember what had been taught; they returned to it, practised it and helped one another turn learning into a dependable way of relating. Sherry strongly recommends this continuing practice because it helps participants implement what she calls the “gold nuggets” received during the seminar.

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This kind of listening becomes especially important when accompanying someone in a painful or critical situation. Sherry believes Christ-Like Listening offers a model for being with people whose circumstances may be deeply distressing. It provides space and presence: space in which a person can feel safe enough to speak honestly, and presence through which the Lord can draw near to them.

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The listener does not enter to take control or become the centre. The listener helps create an environment where the person can disclose, reflect and open their experience before God. Through human attention, Christ's presence can become tangible.

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Sherry recommends Christ-Like Listening to those who want to communicate more clearly, those who have a heart for other people and those who desire to love others better. She also sees it as a path for people who want to grow in their relationship with the Lord: to understand more deeply who Jesus is, how he engages the world and how they can become more like him.

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Her story reveals that mature spiritual support does not come from depending upon oneself. It grows through prayer, practice, accountability and the willingness to let God's love pass through an attentive human presence.